If you've ever dreamed of becoming a
published author,this
workshop is for you. We’ll cover everything from getting started to getting an
agent, from getting your short pieces published to finding a book publisher,
from writing a query letter to writing what the publishers want. Bring your
questions. Come and get ready to be published!

Special Option: Participants are invited to bring a draft of a query letter you might use to interest an agent or publisher in your book. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, three copies could be helpful.

And be sure to bring your elevator pitch! Following the end of the formal workshop at 3:30, Brian Henry will be staying for at least half an hour and helping interested attendees, who didn’t have their queries critiqued earlier, write query letters that will get a yes, while literary agent Sue Miller will be listening to your pitches. Agents come to these events wanting to hear what you’ve got and hoping to find authors they want to represent.

Workshop leader Brian Henryhas been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox,Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia, Ontario, to Saint John, New Brunswick. But his proudest boast is that he’s helped many of his students get published and launch their careers as authors.

Guest speakerSue Miller is a literary agent with the Donaghy Literary Group.
The Donaghy Group has five agents to choose from: Stacey Donaghy, Amanda Ayers Barnett, Alex Franks, Valerie
Noble, and Sue Miller. RepresentingNew York Times, USA Today, and Amazon
bestselling authors, they’re focused on commercial fiction and are always
interested in new and upcoming talented writers. At the workshop, Sue will be standing in for all five agents in the group and giving you her insights from the front lines of the publishing world.

Sue
herself has a special love for romance, young adult, fantasy
and literary fiction. Her publishing career began in Toronto working with
Fidalgo Books in PR and in sales at Scholastic Canada. This quickly progressed
into literary consultations with published and unpublished authors who sought her
help in getting their work ready for submission and publication. She has also
prepared numerous social media marketing strategies centred on specific author
branding. She holds a BA in English from York University along with a
Publishing Certificate from Ryerson University.

Sue is seeking to partner with new, diverse
voices in all genres of Young Adult fiction, and in Literary, Upmarket and
Commercial fiction, and character-driven Romance, including all subgenres
except historical. Read more about the Donaghy Agencyhere.

Brian Henry has been a book editor, writer, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He teaches creative writing at Ryerson University. He also leads weekly creative writing courses in Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville and Georgetown and conducts Saturday workshops throughout Ontario. His proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.